A Long Way Down

By Nick Hornby

"The truth will set you free.  Either that or it'll get you a punch in the nose" 

A Long Way Down is about four strangers who meet on the top of a tower block (read: high-rise building) on New Years Eve.  Why are they on the roof of said tall building you ask? For their own reasons, each of the characters has decided that they can't go on living anymore and are prepared to hurl themselves off the top.

Depressing?  Nope.  Preachy / we-are-saved ? Nope.  Hornby's blackly humourous narrative switches back and forth between the members of the "Topper's House Gang" seamlessly.  Martin, Jess, Maureen, and JJ each tell his or her own story in his or her own distinct voice, so believably.  I mean, while I was reading I thought that I might bump into Jess at the club, or JJ at the music shop.

The characters break the fourth wall and talk to the reader about their lives, hopes, and plans.  This device made them even more believable and real.  I listened to this as an audiobook; the voice actors add a depth to an already deep and intricate story.  

I highly recommended this read.  Nick Hornby, of High Fidelity and About a Boy delivers once again.  Let's hope the movie adaptation is as good as the others. 

♥ Meg xoxo